Shoe tree



w. H. DoHl-:RTY 2,558,740

SHOE TREE `Iuly 3, 1951 Filed Jan. ll, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 3, E95l w. H. DoHl-:RTY

SHOE TREE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan` 1l, 1949 INVENTOR. Wz'lam Joh @rf BY Mm@ Patented .uly 3, 1:9551E AES UNITED 15 Claims.

This invention relatesy to new and useful improvements in shoe trees and lasts.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, eiilcient, durable and easily operated device to be inserted into shoes as a shoe tree or to be used within a shoe upper as a last during the process of applying soles to the uppers.

In brief and general terms the invention concerns a shoe tree which includes a sole plate upon which is disposed a toe piece with laterally movable former portions on the sole plate, a wedge piece movable on the sole plate and disposed between the former portions, with means for advancing and retracting the wedge piece, and with the former portions preferably resiliently supported above the sole plate from the toe piece.

The invention further includes a counter piece with which is associated a clamping piece, an adjustable connection between the wedge piece and the rear of the shoe preferably connected to the clamping piece and with, in most forms, a flexible band connected to the toe piece and extending between the clamping piece and the counter piece, said band adapted to be clamped rrnly in position in one instance at least bythe reaction of the adjustable device on the clamping piece.

Further details of construction andvoperation will appear evident from the following description especially when taken in conjunction with the drawings:

The present preferred forms which the invention may assume are illustrated in the drawings, of which,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a preferred form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section through a modified form of the invention; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of still another modied form of the invention; and,

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring now merely to the detailed description of the forms of the invention shown in the drawings, it will be seen that with regard to the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown a shoe having an inner sole IIJ, toe II, vamp I2, sides I3, and counter I4. Disposable in the forward portion of the shoe on the insole I9 is a stiff metal sole plate I5 having a longitudinal slot I6 and an up-turned rear portion Il also provided with a longitudinal slot I8 and which rises above the top of the side walls I3.

Fixed to the forward portion of the sole plate I5 is a toe piece I9. Disposed on top of the plate I5 and along the vamp sides of the shoe are laterally movable former portions 2l) and 2| slidably supported above the plate I5 by means of their connection to ends of the resilient strips 22 fixed to the toe piece I9 as shown. This permits the former portions to be spread laterally above the plate I5. This spreading action is effected by means of a wedge or spreader piece 23 which is slidable along the top of the plate I5 and has sloping side walls 24 lying parallel to similarly sloped walls 25 on the former portions 29 and 2l. The wedge piece 23 is provided with a headed stem 26 thereon extending down through slot I6 in the sole plate I5. The upper surface of the wedge piece 2S is provided with a series of holes 27 along its longitudinal median line.

Disposed in the rear of the shoe at the counter area is a counter piece 28 having a vertical slot 29 in its forward face in which is disposed pivotally an ladjustable clamping piece 3U pivoted on a pin 3l. As shown in Fig. 1 the adjacent faces of the slot 29 and the clamping piece 30 are spaced somewhat from each other but are similarly formed in a smooth curve as shown, thus providing a curved passageway therebetween for a metal strip of preferably spring steel 32 which especially along its portion lying in the passage way between the slot 29 and the clamping piece 30 has a longitudinal slot 33 therein. The forward end of the strip 32 is connected to the stem 2S on the wedge piece 23.

The wedge piece 23 is moved back and forth on the plate I5 by means of a screw threaded rod 34 the forward end of which 35 is bent down and is adapted to extend into one or the other of the holes 2l. This rod extends through slot I8 in the plate portion Il and through alined bores 36 and 3l in the clamping piece 3U and the counter piece 23 respectively. The slot 3l is much bigger than the rod to permit its axis to move laterally with respect thereto. The end of the rod 34 also extends through the slot 33 in the strip 32 previously mentioned. The rod 34 is provided with an adjustable wing nut 38 which can be screwed along to bear against the adjacent face of the clamping piece 39 as shown in Fig. l.

The upper end of the clamping piece 39 is bent horizontally and forwardly as shown in the form of spaced parallel arms one of which 39 is shown and these arms are embraced by a U- shaped clamp 45 movable into a desired position along a threaded stem 4I fastened in any suitable manner to the upper end of the vertical portion II of plate I5. An adjustable nut 3 42 can be adjusted to press down against the upper limb of the clamp 40 to force the clamp piece 38 tightly against the Strip 32 as seen in Fig. l, by pivoting it around its pivot pin 3l in a counterclockwise direction.

In the operation of this form of the foot former or tree, it is to be seen that with the nut 42 up to release the clamp on the arms 39 and with the nutk 38 moved away from the face of the clamping piece 3B, it is possible to roughly ad just the device in the shoe by grasping the vertical plate H in the hand and moving the plate l forward in the shoe as far as it will go. At the same time the counter piece 28 is disposed against the counter i4 of the shoe. The end 35' of the rod 34 is projected into a desired one of the holes 2l in the Wedge piece 23 and then the nut 38 is tightened up to advance the wedge piece and thereby spread the former portions 26 and 2l against the sidesl of the toe of the shoe. When this adjustment has been achieved, the nut 42 is then screwed down to press on the clamp 49 and thereby on the arms 39, whereby the clamping piece 3B is pivoted around pin 3l to press against the strip 32 and hold it tightly against longitudinal movement. This will thereby present a strong, rigid unit to hold the shoe in proper shape either when used as an ordinary shoe tree or as a shoe last or former, for workmen who are putting on new soles.

A In the form of the device shown in Figure 3, we still have the metal plate I5 disposed in the sole portion of the shoe on top of the insole 9 and we have the toe piece E9 and the former portions 29 and 2l as before supported by springs 22 from the toe piece I9. We also have the strip 32, in this case screwed directly to the bottom of the wedge piece 23 and passing through a slot in the slightly upturned rear end 43 of the plate l5. In this form, we also have the counter i4 and the counter piece 28 together with the curve clamping piece 30 in a slot 29, formed in the counter piece 28 there being a small passage between the adjacent curve surfaces of the clamping piece 3E and the slot 29 as shown, into which the strip 32 passes, this strip being provided asl before, with a slot 33 therein. In this form the upper end of the strap 32 terminates within the slot 29 and the rear end of another strap 32 having a slot 53 therein, overlaps the end of the other strap 32 as shown in Fig. 3, and is bent over and extends forward under the vamp 44 of the shoe and is xedly connected to the top of the toe piece I at 45, as shown.

The wedge piece 23 now is a plain block having sloping lateral walls shown in Figure 2, and provided with an upper rear slot 46 in which is pivoted on pin 4l a link 48 having a socket to receive a ball 49 on the end of screw shaft 50, passing through a bore 5l in the clamping piece 30 and through a larger bore 52 in the counter piece 28. The clamping piece 30 has a pin 53 disposed therein to engage` the threads with the screw shaft 50. shaft 5U projects beyond the device, passesI through an opening in a U-shaped plate 54 which passes across the back of the counter piece and the ends of the limbs of which are pivoted to the opposite sides of the counter piece 28. This construction will permit the angle of the screw shaft to change slightly as the wedge piece is advanced or retracted. In this form, the reaction of the screw shaft against the clamping The end of the screw piece 30 as the wedge piece is moved forward,

will cause the clamping of the strip 32. As the angle of the shaft changes slightly, the clamping piece 3E! can adjust its position in the slot 29.

In the form shown in Figs. 4 and 5, a further modiiication is illustrated in which the parts are somewhat the same as shown in Fig. 3 in that there is a toe piece i9, the insole Ill and the side forming members of which 2l is shown. It also has a screw shaft 55 swivelled as shownA in Fig. 3, to the wedge piece 23 but in this form there is no metal strip such as 32. Instead there is a resilient rod 55 which extends through the toe 'piece I9, the wedge piece 23, through a hole in .theupturned end 43 of the metal plate l5 and then rearwardly through a bore in the counter piece 2B. This rod will tend to prevent the wedge piece from springing upwardly under pressure, and forms a means along which the wedge piece is guided.` In this form, the counter piece 28 is associated with a clamping member 56 having a through bore somewhat similar to the bore 5! through which the screw shaft passes with a pin similar to 53 in Fig. 3 to effect the longitudinal motion of the screw shaft. This clamping member 5E is held somewhat loosely against the curved front face of the counter piece 28 by means of a U-shaped clip 56', the ends of which are driven into the front face of the counter piece 23 and which passes around the clamping piece 56 to hold it loosely in position while permitting a certain. amount of movement betweenl the curved face of vthis clamping piece and the similarly curved front face of the counter piece.

In order to shape the sides of the shoe while this form of device is being applied, I have pro vided a pair of plates 57 on opposite sides of the tree or last pivotally connected at 58 at their'forward ends to the former portions 2l and 22, and having screw bolts 59 attached to their upper rear corners slidable in a slot 60 of a metal plate tl, pivoted at 62 to upturned portions B3 of a metal plate 64 which extends under the counter piece 28. When the device is put in a shoe, these plates 57, at their rear portions, are pressed down so that their lower edges lie along the bottom of the shoe and then nuts 65 on the screw bolts-59 can be tightened to hold them in this position butthis tightening only takes place after the threaded shaft 5U has operated the wedge piece in the previously described manner to spread the former portions into their ultimate positions. After the parts are in their expanded position, a set screw 66 on top ofV the counter piece may be screwed down to engage the shaft 5B to hold it in its set angular position.

These Various forms are all of a type which involves the expansion of former members against the sides of the forward portionof the shoe by the advancement of a wedge element and with the formed members resiliently supported from a toe piece. The construction of all three forms also involves the association of the toe piece with a counter piece by a, connection such as the strap 32 or the rod 55, and the operation of the wedge piece Vthrough the intermediary of a screw means associated with the counter piece.

While the invention has been described in detail and with respect to the preferred form shown in the drawings, it is not to be liinited to such details and forms since many changes and modiilcations may be ma-de in the invention without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention in its broadest aspects. t Hence, it is intended to cover any and all forms and A,modificar tions of the invention which may come with-n the language or scope of any one ormore of the appended claims. ,1

What I claim as my invention, ist

l'. A shoe tree which includes a sole plate, a toe piece on the sole plate, laterally movable former portions on the sole plate, and resilient means supporting the former portions from the toe piece.

2. A shoe tree which includes a sole plate, a toe piece on the sole plate, laterally movable former positions on the sole plate, springs supporting the former portions above the plate from the toe piece, a wedge piece disposed on the sole plate between the former portions, and means to move the wedge piece to and from said former portions, said springs adapted to restore the former portions to a normal position when disengaged from the wedge piece. j

3. A shoe tree `which includes a sole plate, a toe piece on the sole plate, laterally movable former portions on the sole plate, 'a wedge piece disposed on the sole plate between the former portions, a counter piece, an adjustable connection between the wedge piece and the counter piece, and resilient means supporting the former portions from the toe piece.

4. A shoe tree which includes a sole plate, a toe piece on the sole plate, laterally movable former portions on the Sole plate, a wedge piece disposed on the sole plate between the former portions, a counter piece, a clamping piece Divoted to the counter piece with a passage formed between adjacent surfaces thereof, an adjustable connection between the wedge piece and the clamping piece, a exible band connected to the wedge piece and disposed in said passage, and means for pivoting said clamping piece to press it against the band in the passage.

5. A shoe tree which includes a sole plate, a toe piece on the sole plate, laterally movable former portions resiliently supported from the toe piece above the sole plate, a wedge piece disposed on the sole plate between the former portions, a counter piece, a clamping piece pivoted to the counter piece with a passage formed between adjacent surfaces thereof, an adjustable connection between the wedge piece and the clamping piece, and a flexible band connected to the wedge piece and disposed in said passage, and means for pivoting said clamping piece to press it against the band in said passage.

6. A shoe tree which includes a sole plate, a toe piece on the sole plate, laterally movable former portions on the sole plate, a wedge piece disposed on the sole plate between the former portions, a counter piece, a clamping piece pivoted to the counter piece with a passage formed between adjacent surfaces thereof, an adjustable Y connection between the wedge piece and the clamping piece, a flexible band connected to the wedge piece and disposed in said passage, the rear of said sole plate being upturned, said clamping piece having a forwardly and horizontally extending arm, and means on said up-turned portion to engage said arm to pivot the clamping piece to press it against said band.

'7. A shoe tree which includes a sole plate, a toe piece on the sole plate, laterally movable former portions resiliently supported from the toe piece above the sole plate, a wedge piece disposed on the sole plate between the former portions, a counter piece, a clamping piece pivoted to the counter piece with a passage formed between adjacent surfaces thereof, an adjustable connection between Athe wedge piece and the clamping piece,

a llexible band connected to the wedge piece and disposed in said passage, the rear of said sole plate being Aupturned, said clamping means having a forwardly and horizontally extending arm, and means on said up-turned portionto engage said arm to pivot the clamping piece to press it against the band.

8. A shoe tree which includes a sole plate, a toe :piece on the sole plate, laterally movable former portions on the sole plate, resilient means supporting the former portions from the toe piece, a wedge piece disposed on the sole plate between the Yformer portions, a counter piece, the wedge piece having a series of holes in its upper surface, andan adjustable connection associated at one end with said counter piece and at the other end disposed in one of said holes.

9. A shoe tree which includes ka sole plate, a toe rpiece on the sole plate, laterally movable former portions on the sole plate, resilient means supporting the former portions from the toe piece,

va wedge piece disposed on the sole plate between the former portions, a counter piece, the wedge piece having a series of holes in its upper surface,

a clamping piece pivoted to said counter piece, an arm on the clamping piece and extending over the wedge piece, an upwardly extending portion at the rear of the sole plate, means on the upwardly-extending portion engaging the arm to pivot the clamping piece, a flexible band passing between the counter piece and the clamping piece and adapted to be gripped between them as the clamping piece is thus pivoted, one end of the band extending beneath the sole plate, and a pin connected to the end of the band and extending up through a slot in the sole plate and connected to the wedge piece.

10. A shoe tree which includes a sole plate, a toe piece on said toe plate, former portions resiliently supported from said toe plate for lateral movement above the sole plate, a wedge piece on the sole plate between said former portions, a counter piece, a clamping piece movably disposed in a slot in the counter piece, the counter piece and the clamping piece having alined bores, a screw threaded shaft connected to the wedge piece and the clamping piece and extending through said bores, a flexible band connected to the wedge piece and extending between the clamping piece and the counter and another flexible band connected to the topv of the toe piece and extending over the top of the clamping piece and lying between the clamping piece and the counter piece at its end, the reaction of the screw against the clamping piece as it advances the wedge piece toward the former portions whereby the ends of the flexible bands are clamped between the clamping piece and the counter piece.

11. A shoe tree which includes a sole plate, a toe piece on the sole plate, laterally movable former portions on the sole plate, a wedge piece disposed on the sole plate between the former portions, a counter piece, an adjustable connection between the wedge piece and the counter piece, and side shaping plates pivoted to the sides of the former portions and extending rearwardly along the side walls of the shoe.

12. A shoe tree which includes a sole plate, a toe piece on the sole plate, laterally movable former portions on the sole plate, a wedge piece disposed on the sole plate between the former portions, a counter piece, an adjustable connection between the wedge piece and the counter piece, and side shaping plates pivoted to the sides of the former portions and extending rearwardly amena@ along the side walls of the shoe, a heel plate disjposed under the counter piece, slotted metal plates pivotally connected to the heel plate, and adjustable bolt and nut means associated with the slots in said plates and the upper rear ends of said side shaping plates.

13. A shoe tree which includes a sole plate, a toe piece on the sole plate, laterally i'novable former portions on the sole plate, a wedge piece disposed on the sole plate between the formel portions, a counter piece, an adjustable oof'fnn'ection between the wedge. piece and the `counter piece, and a flexible rod extending through the toe piece, the sole plate, the wedge piece and the counter piece to hold these parts in substantial alinement.

14. A shoe tree which includes a sole plate, a toe piece on the sole plate, laterally inovable former portions on the sole plate, a wedge piece -disposed on the sole plate between the *formel* portions, a counter piece, an adjustable connece tion between the wedge piece and the counter piece, a flexible rod extending through the toe piece, the sole plate, the wedge piece and the Counter piece to hold these parts in substantial alinement, and side shaping plates pivoted to the sides of the former portions and extending rear- Wardly a-loii'g the l'side walls of the shoe.

15. A shoe 'tree which includes a sole plate, a 'toe piece 'on the sole plate, laterally movable former portions on the sole plate, 'a wedge piece disposed on the sole plate between the former portions, a counter piece, an adjustable connection between the wedge piece and the counter piece, a ilexible rod extending through the toe piece, the sole plate, the Wed-ge piece and the `o'iinter piece to hold these parts in substantial alinine'nt, side shaping plates pivoted to the sides of Vthe former portions and extending rearwardly along the side walls of the shoe, a heel plate disposed under the 'counter piece, slotted metal link plates pivotally connected to the heel plate, and adjustable bolt and nut means associated With the slots in said 1i-nk plates and the upper rear ends' of said side-shaping plates.

No references cited. 

